When Hollywood rewards the right people, a short story from me, the bravery of Wednesday Addams, and nice bowls of grits.

Joy

I’m a sucker for awards show acceptance speeches. Sure, glamorous events like the Golden Globes can be a playground for the rich and privileged, and the organizations that host them are often riddled with racism and bad behavior. Even so, I believe in the stories of individuals who worked, failed, were pushed out, nearly gave up, then found an opportunity that changed their lives. Ke Huy Quan’s acceptance speech for his dynamic performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once is an example of the way Hollywood can be when it commits to honoring diverse talent.

Rage

I rarely (if ever?) get to share pieces of my fiction here. This is partly because I always have stories in submission that I don’t want to publish on my own, but mostly because I’m a perfectionist and don’t like sharing until I’m ready. Still, I recently made it through the first round of NYC Midnight’s 250-word microfiction contet, where contestants are given twenty-four hours to write a story with an assigned genre, action, and word to use. (In my case, Myster/Thriller, following a trail, and spell.) Since the rights revert to me, I thought I’d share my entry titled, “If She Survives,” about rage, memory, and game shows at the end of the world.

If She Survives

I found a silver bracelet in a dead girl’s bedroom, the last puddle in a trail of blood that ran through the ravaged neighborhood. I waited for audience cheers or instructions from the host to come through my earpiece, but there was only the buzz of empty airwaves and a soft, guttural laugh as a shadow slipped up the staircase behind me. It was dangerous to plunder the abandoned houses, but that was the point of the show.

“We’ll raise our scavenger’s prize to one million dollars,” the host said, “if she survives the Growling Dark!” 

The shadow took up the doorway. I wrenched open the window and thought of my mother, of everyone the Dark took, then jumped. The audience gasped as I hit the ground and tried to stand. My knees buckled and I dug my fingers in the dirt as if I could drag myself to the distant city gates. 

“She’ll never make it!” the host said as the shadow fell over me. The growling ripped into my brain, my spine, my whole body until I screamed and tossed the bracelet away. The shadow went girl-shaped and scrambled to pick it up, her red eyes spellbound by the glinting silver. She disappeared, leaving me alone with the boos and jeers in my earpiece. 

“We can’t all be winners, folks!” the host said as the city gates blurred in my vision. I turned to stare at the dark sky, thumbing the ring my mother gave me, and growled.

Obsession

I was a Tim Burton teenager and tried to make it everyone else’s problem. My black and white-striped tights were my middle school uniform, no matter how impractical they were. I started a Facebook countdown to the release of Burton’s Alice in Wonderland weeks in advance. I wore my Edward Scissorhands t-shirt to Wednesday nights at church no matter how many times I was reminded that if God wasn’t up there it wouldn’t be snowing, actually.

Given all of this, I don’t know why I’m surprised that Burton’s Wednesday gave me emotions. I forgot how much my younger self wanted to be like Wednesday Addams—an aloof, tortured genius, one Gothic step ahead of everyone—and how much I ended up learning the same lesson she does: assuming people will misunderstand or hate you is self-protective, even fearful. The braver thing is to give them a chance to love you.

Hunger: A Nice Bowl of Grits

Alex has been busy with work this week, so I’ve been flying solo for dinners and in the mood for something that doesn’t take too long but provides the kind of comfort I need in these dark northeastern January evenings. I’ve settled on a grits kick because, while there are ways to make them exceptional, your average grocery store quick grits can come together in twenty minutes and can be doctored to deliciousness with butter, olive oil, cheeses, herbs, and subbing your choice of broth for water. Equally easy is to top them with hefty vegetables and proteins that cook quickly in a skillet. Two of my favorite versions this week were Everything Bagel Seasoning grits with creamy herbed mushrooms (left) and parmesan grits with veggie sausage and glazed carrots (right).